| A | B |
|---|
| government | the institution through which a society makes and enforces its laws |
| public policy | all the goals a government sets and the action it pursues to realize those goals |
| legislative power | the power to make a law and frame public policy |
| executive power | the power to execute, enforce, and administer the law |
| judicial power | the power to interpret laws and determine their meaning |
| constitution | the body of fundamental laws setting out the principles, structures, and processes of government |
| dictatorship | a form of government in which the leader has absolute power and authority |
| democracy | a form of government in which the supreme authority rests with the people |
| state | a body of people living in a define territory who have a government with the power to make and enforce law without the consent of a higher authority |
| sovereign | having supreme power within its own territory |
| autocracy | a form of government in which a single person holds unlimited political power |
| oligarchy | a form of government in which the power to rule is held by a small, usually sefl-appointed elite |
| unitary government | a centralized government in which all government powers belong to a single, central agency |
| federal government | a form of government in which powers are divided between a central government and several local governments |
| division of powers | a basic principle of federalism by which governmental powers are divided on a geographic basis |
| confederation | a joining of several groups for a common purpose |
| presidential government | a form of government in which the executive and legislative branches of government are separate, independent, and co-equal |
| parliamentary government | a form of government in which the executive branch is made up of a prime minister or premier and that official's cabinet |
| compromise | an adjustment of opposing principles or systems by modifying some aspect of each |
| mixed economy | an economy in which private enterprise exists in combination with a considerable amount of government regulation |
